In a matter of months the Nets will be playing ball at the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic, as envisioned more than eight years ago by developer Bruce Ratner. British financial firm Barclays will pay 400 million dollars over the next 20 years to secure naming rights to the stadium. But the rest of Atlantic Yards’ promise has yet to be fulfilled. Given the deep disagreement the project prompted, what does that mean for Brooklyn?
The Nets are coming to Brooklyn with a 15-man roster and a tip-off in fall 2012. Traffic, jobs, housing and economic activity are coming, too, but no one is sure precisely how much or exactly when.
Opponents of Atlantic Yards feel vindicated by the challenges facing the development. Business owners in the area express a mix of concern and optimism.
The dramatic slow-down in housing construction at the Brooklyn site is fodder for opponents of the project. But supporters believe the development will still make good on its commitments.
What’s missing from the controversial development site? Not just the jobs and housing, says this writer, but the independent monitor required by the community benefits agreement.
The executive director of NY ACORN argues that the plan’s superior affordable housing provisions require citizens “to take yes for an answer.”
The president of the Municipal Art Society challenges residents to hold out for the high standards of planning, design, housing — and democratic public process — the city deserves.
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